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72 FIELDIANA: BOTANY, VOLUME 28
per cos tarn mediam et 1-2 nervos laterales linea squaraorura fuscarum
vestitis aliter glabris, inferioribus 55-65 cm. longis, 2.5-4 cm. latis,
supremis 30-35 cm. longis, 2-3 cm. latis, ad marginem setoso-ciliata
nigra; spatha 40 cm. longa cylindrica angusta extus fusco-tomentulosa,
aculeis pluribus acicularibus subteretibus nigris 12-37 mm.
longis dense confertis; spadice multiramoso tomentuloso; rhachi 21
cm. longa; pedunculo 13 cm. longo, 2 cm. crasso, robusto declinato
aculeato, setis brevibus tenuibus; ramis numerosis 4-12 cm. longis, 2
mm. crassis; calyce fructifero annuliforme adpresso, margine subintegio,
4-4.5 mm. alto, 1 cm. diametro; drupa oblato-globulari vel
turbinata, 18-19 mm. alta, 18-20 mm. lata, apice subtruncata ad
basim subito angustata glabra.
Petiole 52-55 cm. long from base to lowermost pinnae, 1.3 cm.
thick, convex and rounded below, bicanaliculate above with sharp
keel, densely buff-furfuraceous in lowermost part, middle and upper
parts less closely but conspicuously buff- or brown furfuraceous with
minute scales mixed with brown hairs, densely black-spiny over most
of length; spines on lower convex surface more prominent, arranged
in fan-like clusters, black, those near base of rachis white-pubescent
in lower part, those in upper and middle portions less noticeably
pubescent below or glabrescent; spines on lower side in upper part
of rachis smaller, 7-10 mm. long, less numerous, absent from uppermost
portion of rachis; pinnae membranaceous, dull green both sides,
in groups of 4-5, rather closely crowded, the uppermost alternate,
narrowed above into a bidenticulate apex, with one side longer than
the other, glabrous above except for black slender sparse setae 3-6
mm. long on midrib of uppermost ones, below midrib and 1-2 main
lateral nerves covered with a line of brownish scales especially
prominent at base of pinna, otherwise glabrous, lower pinnae 55-65
cm. long, 2.5-4 cm. wide, middle pinnae 65 cm. long, 4 cm. wide,
uppermost pinnae 30-45 cm. long, 2-3 cm. wide; spathe longcylindric,
shortly exceeding the spadix, the brown-tomentulose
surface thickly covered by numerous slender black spines; axis of
rachis continued through most of length of spadix; fruiting clusters
pendent, arising on old wood at base of leaf clusters; drupe at first
dark green, turning purple, the edible white interior with coconUtlike
flavor.
xxType in herb. Chi. Nat. Hist. Mus., collected in woods along Ru>
Leon by Quebrada Danta, tributary to RK> Neverf, northeast of
Bergantin, state of Anzoategui, alt. 500 m., February 20, 1945,
Julian A. Steyermark 61039.
Local name: "Maquenilla". The woody part of the trunk serves
for frames used in connection with hand-made Venezuelan sandals
(alpargata). The alpargatas are woven with various colors of cotton
thread, and started on a wooden support, which is derived in this
section of Venezuela from the woody trunk of this species of Bactris.
In its combination of concolorous setulose-margined pinnae, which
have 1 or 2 lines or nerves minutely buff-brown furfuraceous on the